Many of us were moved this month by news of the demise of Coretta Scott King, Dr. Martin Luther King's famous and courageous wife, who at age 78, died a few months after suffering cervical cancer and a stroke. To my knowledge, Coretta, as she was affectionately called, never visited Oak Park. So what's the local hook?

In the recent web extra Wednesday Journal article "VOP to pay $7.5M for DTOP buildings," the article reports that the village board is set to buy the Colt building and 1145 Westgate from the Taxman Corporation for $7.5 million.

The District 97 school board will convene tonight to discuss another round of budget cuts. The district, to its credit, has been diligent about cutting in preparation for a tax-hike referendum, whose date is yet undetermined.

What was the village board thinking when it approved paying $7.5 million in hard-earned tax dollars to buy the Colt building and another structure from Taxman? If you thought the $10 million Whiteco subsidy was a bad idea, this $7.5 million is only the down payment on the board's quixotic project to "save the Colt."

I recently saw the movie In Love and War, based on Ernest Hemingway's life. It brought back many memories. Nine years ago this January 22, Oak Park celebrated the Midwest premiere of this movie at the Lake Theatre. That in itself was quite a coup and the occasion was embellished with the star, Chris O'Donnell, arriving in a limousine on the coldest night of the year.

What's the most pressing issue on the minds of Oak Park and River Forest residents these days? Beats me, and I may be in the best position to assess that. As the editor of the letters section, you could say I have my finger on the pulse of the community?#34;at least of that part of the community moved to write letters to the editor.

I have followed the Colt building vs. Taxman controversy in the newspapers, and read articles on both sides, including one from supporters and shop owners expressing the possibility of "once again having vibrant shopping on the mall."